display | Search Online Etymology Dictionary

123 entries found.

1747, originally a day of military exercise and review (see field (v.)); figurative sense "any day of unusual bustle, exertion, or display" [Century Dictionary] is from 1827.

beaver (n.3)

"female genitals, especially with a display of pubic hair," by 1927, British slang, ultimately from beaver (n.1), perhaps transferred from earlier meaning "a bearded man" (1910), or directly from the appearance of split beaver pelts.

splurge (n.)

1828, "ostentatious display," American English, of uncertain origin; originally among the class of words considered characteristic of "Western" (i.e. Kentucky) dialect. Perhaps a blend of splash and surge. The meaning "extravagant indulgence in spending" is first recorded 1928.

affectation (n.)

"studied display, artificiality of manner or conduct," 1540s, from French affectation (16c.) or directly from Latin affectationem (nominative affectatio) "a striving after, a claiming," noun of action from past-participle stem of affectare "to strive for" (see affect (v.2)).

happening (n.)

mid-15c., "chance, luck," verbal noun from happen (v.); meaning "an occurrence" is 1550s. Sense of "spontaneous event or display" is from 1959 in the argot of artists. Happenings "events" was noted by Fowler as a vogue word from c. 1905.

pomposity (n.)

early 15c., pomposite, "solemnity" (a sense now obsolete), from Medieval Latin pompositas, from Late Latin pomposus "stately, pompous" (see pompous). The sense of "ostentatious display," usually objectionable, is from 1610s in English; earlier in French pomposité.

mast-head (n.)

also masthead, 1748, "top of a ship's mast" (the place for the display of flags), hence, from 1838, "top of a newspaper" (where its name, etc. appears; the nameplate itself is commonly the flag), from mast (n.1) + head (n.).

exhibit (v.)

"offer or present to view," mid-15c., from Latin exhibitus, past participle of exhibere "to hold out, display, show, present, deliver," from ex "out" (see ex-) + habere "to hold" (from PIE root *ghabh- "to give or receive"). Related: Exhibited; exhibiting.

expose (n.)

also exposé, "display of discreditable information," 1803, initially as a French word; noun use of past participle of French exposer "lay open" (see expose (v.)). Earliest use was in reference to Napoleon.

bench (v.)

"to take out of a (baseball) game," 1902, from bench (n.) in the sporting sense. Earlier it meant "to display (a dog) in a dog show" (1863). Related: Benched; benching. Old English had a verb bencian, but it meant "to make benches."

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